Kettering shop’s licence could go up in smoke after illegal cigarette haul

A European supermarket in Kettering could lose its licence after thousands of illegal cigarettes were seized from its warehouse.

Freshpol in Montagu Street will face a licensing review after a series of inspections over the past 18 months.

Northants County Council’s trading standards team received tip-offs and complaints that the store was selling illegal tobacco and, after occasions where small numbers of illict products were found, visited the store on November 8 last year.

During the inspection a key was found in the till which opened shutters at the rear of the building, which led to a warehouse.

Inside, 3,191 packets of illegal cigarettes were seized – of which at least 2,500 were counterfeit.

Three weeks later, during another inspection, a customer asked for some Mayfair cigarettes.

When the shop assistant went to fetch some from the display the customer said: “Not those, I want the ones from out the back.”

Further test purchases by trading standards officers saw them buy illicit cigarettes and on February 6, officers and a sniffer dog visited.

More than 600 illegal packets of cigarettes were seized.

When officers were in the store a member of the public reported that there were people on the roof throwing boxes of cigarettes down.

When they went to investigate the car drove off at speed – with cigarettes piled high on the passenger seat.

A further search found more cigarettes on the roof and in a concealed room.

A bid to review the premises licence by PC David Bryan from Northamptonshire Police said that modifying the licence would not curtail any criminal activity.